digital engineering: building reality -...
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WhitepaperDigital Engineering: Building Reality
GeoSLAM.tech
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ContentsChapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: A quantum leap in technology for the construction industry
Chapter 3: The benefits of digital engineering
Chapter 4: The building blocks for success
Chapter 5: Blueprint for the future
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Chapter 1:Introduction
The insurance industry, once 95%
paper is now 95% electronic. Digital
insurers embracing big data analytics,
digitising distribution and operations
are now forging ahead and
reinventing customer engagement
models.
The engineering and construction
sector has been slower to adopt
and adapt to modern technologies
than other global sectors. While
innovation has occurred to some
extent on the enterprise or company
level, overall productivity in the
sector has remained nearly flat for
the last 50 years.2
However, with the global
construction sector forecast to grow
by up to 70% by 20253, it has a bright
future ahead. But to capitalise on
this opportunity, leaders in this field
will need to reach beyond traditional
tools, and embrace not only cutting-
edge technology, but also the
mindset and approach to collaborate.
The ones who embrace digital engineering will not only survive, but thrive.
The next stage in the digital
revolution has begun, characterised
by a fusion of technologies that
is blurring the lines between the
physical, digital and human world.
The possibilities of billions of
people and devices continuously
and transparently connected, with
unprecedented processing power,
storage capacity, and access to
knowledge, are unlimited. And these
possibilities will be multiplied by
emerging technology breakthroughs
in fields such as artificial intelligence,
robotics, the Internet of Things,
autonomous vehicles, digital twinning,
3D printing, nanotechnology,
biotechnology, materials science,
energy storage and quantum
computing.1
Digital technology is changing
the way we design, construct
and look after our infrastructure.
The fourth industrial revolution
has already transformed retailing,
publishing, travel and financial
services. Digital agriculture is being
driven by next generation satellite
systems, driverless tractors and the
Internet of Things, enabling massive
agriculture productivity growth and
new business opportunities.
The future is already here
- it is just not very evenly distributed.
William Gibson, writer
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Chapter 2:A quantum leap in technology for the construction industry
Sitting at the heart of BIM is digital
technology which extends 2D
technical drawings into 3D virtual
information models, with project
management and visualisation tools.
This means that spatial relationships,
light analysis, geographic information,
and quantities and properties
of building components can be
identified. The benefits are potentially
huge: greater predictability of
building performance, price and
programme. Stakeholders in the
engineering lifecycle that embrace
digital technologies such as BIM
can become leaders in their field.
Otherwise, they risk losing out
competitively.
The ongoing transformation of
the construction industry will
rely increasingly on BIM and
other digital tools. Many national
governments - including of the UK,
USA and Australia - have already
acknowledged the value of BIM
and have begun to mandate digital
modelling in the design phase of
large construction projects.
Digitalisation – the development
and deployment of digital
technologies and processes – is key
to transforming the engineering and
construction industry and moving it
into the fourth industrial revolution.
Innovations of this kind enable
new functionalities along the entire
value chain, from the early design
phase to the very end of an asset’s
lifecycle at the demolition phase.
New digital technologies such as
Building Information Modelling (BIM),
wireless sensing, and 3D printing
have begun transforming the way
that infrastructure, real estate, and
other built assets can be designed,
constructed and managed.
BIM is gaining currency as a platform
for central integrated design,
modelling, planning and collaboration.
It provides all stakeholders
(architects, surveyors, engineers,
building owners, facility managers
etc.) with a 3D digital representation
- “the digital twin” - of a building’s
characteristics – throughout its
lifecycle.
However, research into BIM adoption
in the UK, suggests just over half
construction professionals use
BIM.4 And in only equating BIM
as a synonym for 3D drawings,
professionals are missing out on the
potentially significant benefits that
digital engineering can offer.
But this is about to change and
the key is digitalisation. The 3D
spatial information model is the
solid foundation and coupling the
complex, data-rich technology along
with drones, 3D augmented reality,
ubiquitous connectivity and most
importantly, a collaborative way of
working, will unlock the true value of
digital engineering. Digital engineering
isn’t only about creating models. It’s
about unlocking intelligence, creating
data and a platform for true project
collaboration that is set to be the
building block for 21st century
construction.
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“Building Information Modelling (BIM) is changing the UK
construction industry – a vitally important sector that employs more than three million people
and in 2010 delivered £107billion to the UK economy. Over the
next decade this technology will combine with the internet of things (providing sensors and other information), advanced data analytics and the digital
economy to enable us to plan new infrastructure more effectively,
build it at lower cost and operate and maintain it more efficiently. Above all, it will enable citizens
to make better use of the infrastructure we already have.”
HM Government - Digital Built Britain
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Chapter 3:The benefits of digital engineering
Save money - unmitigated
risks in engineering
and construction projects lead
to schedule delays, cost overruns,
and in the worst-case scenarios,
disputes and claims. Construction
firms experience delays on a quarter
of their projects, with nearly one
fifth of projects going over budget5
and costing the USA alone, over
$120 billion annually.6 During the
design and engineering phase, digital
engineering identifies potential design
and constructability issues up front,
thereby averting costly corrective
rework and enabling real-time
project monitoring. It also improves
the tendering process by making the
information more transparent and
accessible. This potentially de-risks
the large contingency funds which
historically have been locked up; a
key driver for the UK Government.
Research suggests that over 57%
of construction engineers believe
BIM will help bring about a 50%
reduction in the time from inception
to completion for new-build and
refurbished projects,4 resulting in
significant cost savings throughout
the industry.
More and more construction
projects are incorporating systems of
digital sensors, intelligent machines,
mobile devices, and new software
applications increasingly integrated
with a central platform of BIM.
Technological advances are now
revolutionising almost all points in
the lifecycle of a built asset, from
conceptualisation to demolition. This
image from GeoEnable sets out the
whole lifecycle of a construction
asset, with estimated timelines.
When applied at the very earliest
stages of a project, digital engineering
not only facilitates better design but
helps identify and eliminate risks
that might arise later down the
line – offering greater predictability
of building performance, price and
programme. And with increased
predictability, comes increased
confidence. Other significant benefits
include:
Support the full lifecycle
of the asset – digital
engineering doesn’t stop once
construction starts. In fact, we now
have the capacity to go beyond the
delivery phase, and support the full
lifecycle of the asset through the
constant monitoring and update
of the digital twin, and enabling a
seamless flow of information across
different construction phases and
stakeholders. Continuous monitoring
of the project progression can take
place with weekly, or even daily, 3D
scans of the site providing real-
time information for all project
stakeholders. This improves the
handover between construction
and operations and with a digital
format, maintenance can be planned
and predicted even before the
asset is built. For example, using
digital engineering we can predict
the real use of energy and enable
facilities management systems to
streamline building services and
maintenance. Facility managers can
reorder a damaged window by going
to a virtual version of the room and
clicking on the finish, or trace a faulty
electrical relay through all building
management systems and interrogate
it.
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Case Study: Creating a real-time digital twin of a hundred-year-old school, only possible through digital engineering. Transforming an ageing school in the Jazz District of Kansas City to a community arts centre required the power of today’s real-time technology. The building, built in 1905 and renovated in 1922 due to overcrowding, has had several more developments to it over the years. For any plans to be approved on the site of the Attucks School, the commission needed substantial and comprehensive drawings – materials, floor plans, site drawings and elevations. But with several hazards identified - visible deterioration in the wood floorings, ceiling collapses, and air quality conditions including asbestos – a fast, accurate and safe survey technique was required. Civil engineering firm, BHC Rhodes, embarked upon the complex task of a 3D Revit BIM using GeoSLAM technology. Lightweight, handheld scanners, built for difficult to access spaces, were used to scan the property in only 4.5 hours, recording more than 43,000 measurements per second. A BIM model was provided two weeks earlier than expected providing a comprehensive picture of the asset. Only with these modern tools could a real-time digital twin of the ageing building be created quickly, and safely.
“Digital engineering is the transformation from analogue
to digital for the engineering and construction sector and represents
the evolution of BIM. Without digital technology, this would not
be possible, but it goes further than this and the success depends on a harmonious blend of people,
process and technology working together.”
Steven Eglinton, Director, GeoEnable
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Mitigate risk – aside from
time and cost overrun,
there is a pressing need to identify
and address health, safety and
environmental risks for construction
personnel, the public and future asset
users much earlier in the process.
“Doing more with less” is a common
mantra in construction today but
safety must be promoted as a core
value, even in a down economy.
Fortunately, today’s technology can
better support this risk mitigation
process be it for flood assessment,
fire safety tests or structural analysis.
When equipped with the right
technology, construction companies
across the globe can work safely
and more efficiently. Wearable smart
sensors can track the condition of
workers and drones can be used to
monitor workers on sites, especially
in heavily congested and remote
locations.
Perfect the model virtually
– today, architects and
engineers face daunting challenges:
structures, designs and workflows
are becoming more complex, while
clients demand more for their
money. We can now virtually test the
stress factors and tolerances of an
asset in multiple ways repeatedly to
provide the best and safest solution
to the client, before the asset is built.
For off-premise construction, such as
the The Leadenhall Building, where
the site footprint was the building
footprint, building, testing and re-
testing the model virtually allows
for “just-in-time” construction.
Regularly using accurate and fast
scanning technology on site allows
you to repeatedly update the 3D
model. This ensures the digital twin
is always an exact mirror of the
asset, and enables you to spot and
correct irregularities before building
work starts. Handheld mapping
tools are now available for anyone
to use on site and within minutes,
an architect, facility manager or
the building owner can quickly and
accurately build a 3D map of their
survey environment. For example,
a foreman can carry out a weekly
scan by walking the site, and within
minutes automated analysis will
highlight any discrepancies, saving
time and money.
Unify delivery teams –
with multiple stakeholders
engaged at various points of the
project lifecycle, “one source of
the truth” enables all parties’
greater collaboration and more
informed decision-making. Critical
to this is having a mapping tool
that accurately captures the data
in 3D model form, and provides an
anchor for all data extracts. In the
project process, designers, architects,
surveyors and engineers will all be
drawing off the same data source.
In some instances, you could have
as many as 100 different software
tools mining the data for different
purposes – all looking at the same
data in a different way. With a
central 3D model, all stakeholders
can contribute information to and
extract information from the digital
twin on a regular and frequent basis.
Delivery teams are unified and all
parties have a clear view of the end
client’s objectives. This not only
happens at project and programme
level but organisational too.
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Case Study: Saving time and money with today’s digital engineering tools. Atkins is applying advanced digital and hightech solutions to high-hazard operations, such as the retrieval of radioactive waste or the transport of spent nuclear fuel. It uses 3D laser scanning and 3D cameras to provide an accurate as-built status of the asset profile up front, and thereby increases confidence in the design and facilitates delivery. Virtual reality and augmented reality help to engage stakeholders, by clarifying the design and indicating progress throughout the project’s lifecycle; they also help to reduce the time that operators and surveyors have to spend in high-hazard or high-dose areas.
3D BIM facilitates clash detection and – by also incorporating programme details, cost constraints and asset-management information – it optimises the use of data throughout the project’s lifecycle without loss, contradiction or misinterpretation. By learning from experience and implementing its solutions adeptly across the full lifecycle of the project, Atkins can achieve as much as a 20% reduction in the time needed for completing a project, and up to 16% in cost savings.7
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“Emerging technologies are the enabler in the way we collect, use, re-use and maintain data. The end game is enabled data-driven decision making. It’s nothing short of a transformation in the way we can now manage information.”
Steven Eglinton, Director, GeoEnable
Case Study: fast and accurate scanning techniques, at the forefront of digital engineering today. Oriel College, part of the University of Oxford, in the UK is nearly 700 years old, with around 200 rooms across five storeys, including an “island site”, accessible via tunnel. The structure has been added to over the years and no accurate floor plans or elevation drawing existed. As a world-class institute, it is occupied 24/7 and opportunities to accurately scan with minimal disruption are few. Traditional tools are not an option due to the unconventional layout and network of rooms, and a handheld, lightweight, mobile indoor mapping tool is needed. GeoSLAM’s technology is at its best in complex, enclosed, multi-level environments recording over 43,000 measurement per second. Scanning is completed in half the time as static equipment and for the first time in nearly 700 years the site has accurate 3D models representing the buildings in their truest form.8
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Chapter 4:The building blocks
for successBy creating a digital twin of the
asset and providing a central data
source, greater collaboration and
more informed decision-making can
take place. Using digital tools such
as BIM, and aligning that data across
multiple project stakeholders and
project lifecycle phases provides
a platform on which the model
can be built. It enables smoother
processes, better interoperability
and improved data integrity. Digital
engineering is also a key enabler
for Design for Manufacturing and
Assembly, driving the manufacturing
process from concept to assembly
sharing structured data between
client, supply chain and contractor.
Well managed data is of paramount
importance in this process. It’s just as
important to protect the integrity of
the data, as it is to manage its usage.
Having access to regular updates
of the digital twin, means that all
the project team can make better
decisions. And with the technology
tools available today, which are
accessible and operate in all
environments, access to accurate,
fast and cost effective real-time
3D information is possible. Costly
mistakes can be avoided as the digital
data mirrors the reality, and the
construction process throughout is
improved.
The digital twin of the asset sits
at the heart of digital engineering
and is paramount to its success.
Throughout the building lifecycle,
from design to construction
and maintenance, engineers and
surveyors, architects and facilities
managers today need to accurately
capture, manage and utilise 3D
spatial information. The demand
for up to date, accurate 3D models
is greater than ever before. Most
projects now require comprehensive
information to be captured inside
buildings and enclosed environments,
as well as in complex and difficult
to access spaces where there is
no GPS coverage - a capability
that until recently was either too
costly or simply too difficult to
achieve. Engineers will often have
a very limited time on site to
accurately create actionable 3D
models; and for on-the-job quality
control they’ll need to continually
compare as-built models against
the design plans. Access to user-
friendly technology that can quickly
scan multi-level environments and
produce accurate and high quality
3D data can be a game-changer for
engineers. With today’s tools, highly
detailed surveys are produced that
would be almost impossible with
traditional instruments and the real-
time 3D information becomes the
cornerstone of the asset – the “one
source of the truth”.
But key to achieving digital
engineering excellence is having
the right blend of technical and
cultural platforms. The true value
in digital engineering comes with a
convergence of people, process and
technology. Multiple stakeholders are
involved in every engineering project
from designers and architects, to
engineers, surveyors and facilities
and asset managers. An inclusive
environment based on openness,
cooperation and knowledge-sharing
must be underpinned by consistent
processes and access points, allowing
everyone involved in a project to
navigate freely around the model and
explore the data. The silo-busting
nature of digital engineering means
everyone in the value chain can
benefit from collaborative workflows
and drive true innovation. Data-rich
technology platforms, standardised
ways of working and the right
mindset are the building blocks that
together will unlock the value.
Technology
3D Model
People Process
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Chapter 5:Blueprint for the future
you to build highly accurate 3D
models of any indoor, underground
or difficult to access environment
within minutes. These are lightweight,
handheld and easy to use scanners
that capture and model complex
3D data up to 10 times faster than
traditional tools.
Tomorrow’s engineer will be
defined by their ability to integrate
innovative engineering approaches,
Full scale digitalisation in non-
residential construction could, within
10 years, produce annual global cost
savings of 13-21%2. With the global
construction sector forecast to grow
by up to 70% by 20253, this cannot
be achieved by manpower alone.
The technologies that will play a
leading role in enabling this growth
range from big data analytics, mobile
connectivity and 3D augmented
reality to drones and embedded
sensors. This diagram from Boston
Consulting Group illustrates the
digital technologies that will shape
the future of the engineering and
construction industry.
Tools that are cost effective, easily
accessible, work in all environments
and quickly prove their worth will
be widely adopted. For example,
disruptive technology such as
handheld mobile mapping tools allow
digital technologies and rich data.
Ultimately, digital engineering will
realise its full potential only if
widely adopted and computerised
construction is the industry norm. A
fertile environment must be created
in the sector. This is the responsibility
of all stakeholders: government,
regulators, construction companies,
technology firms. And for the early
adopters, speed matters.
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We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us Winston Churchill
“Over the next decade this technology will combine with the internet of things (providing sensors and other information), advanced data analytics and the digital economy to enable us to plan new infrastructure more effectively, build it at lower cost and operate and maintain it more efficiently.”HM Government - Digital Built Britain
1.World Economic Forum - The Fourth Industrial Revolution: what it means, how to respond
2.Boston Consulting Group - How Technology Is Revolutionizing Construction
3.HM Government - Digital Built Britain - Level 3 Building Information Modelling - Strategic Plan
4.NBS - National BIM Report 2016
5.Smart Market Report – Mitigation of Risk in Construction
6.Barry LePatner - Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets
7.World Economic Forum - Shaping the Future of Construction A Breakthrough in Mindset and Technology
8.GIM International - 3D Handheld Scanning of Historic Buildings
References
Get in Touch
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+44 (0) 1949 831 [email protected]@GeoSLAMLtd
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